Display-cabinet.



W. G. HELLER.

DISPLAY CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED APR.8, 1914.

Ru 1 9 1 3 2 F d 6 t H b a P 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. O. HELLER.

DISPLAY CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED APB..8, 1914.

Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

19 29 13 23 J E F amue/nhyr WILLIAM C. HELLER, 0F MON'I'PELIE'R, OHIO.

. DISiPLAY-CABINET.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented neuaaiais.

Application filed April 8, 1914. Serial No. 830,445.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that 1, WILLIAM C. HELLER, citizen of the United States, residing at Montpelier, in the county of Williams and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Display-Cabinets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new anduseful improvements in display cabinets for merchandise of various kinds.

The principal object of the inventioni's to construct a display cabinet having av novel form of door, which is formed in the nature of a box or casing equipped with a glass front so that the user of the cabinet may display within the door a set of samples of the merchandise stored within the cabinet. I

A further object is to mount this box-like door so that it will, when swung into open position, be supported at its transverse center instead of at one edge, as in the ordinary door, thus relieving the hinges of any undue strain which might be caused by the weight of the samples contained within the door.

Another object is to construct the cabinet with such regard to number, proportion and arrangement of parts that it may be cheaply manufactured, will be durable and eflicient in its action, and may be utilized for efiectively displaying various kinds of mer-' chandise.

The above and additional objects are accomplished by such means as are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification, and then more .particularly pointed out in the claims,

which are appended hereto and form a part of this application.

With reference to the drawings, wherein there has been illustrated the preferred embodiment of this invention as it is reduced to practice, and throughout the several views of which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts, Figure l is a perspective view of the cabinet, illustrating the doorin partial opened position;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken through the cabinet with the door closed, the cutting plane of the section being slightly above the lock of the door; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4. of Fig. 2; Fig.6 is a section on the line 5-5 *of Fig. 2; and Fig. 6 is a section on the line -6-6 of Fig. 3.

In the embodiment of my invention shown 1n the accompanying drawings, the cabinet consists essentially in a body member 10, a door 11, a pair of hanger brackets 12 and 13, which pivotally support the door at its center, and an attaching strip 14:, whichflis' hinged to one side wall of the body member 10 and serves as a support for the bracket arms 12 and 13.

. The body member 10 which may be of any desired design, but is in its preferred embodiment substantially rectangular in shape, includes side walls 15 and 16, top and bottom walls 17 and 18, and a rear wall or back 19. A-number of shelves such as are" "to the cabinet. The back or rear wall 19,

however, preferably consists in metal, as indicated in Fig. 2.

The door 11 is, as hereinbefore explained, formed in the nature of a box or casing which is designed to receive for display purposes a set of samples of the merchandise contained within the cabinet. The door includes in its construction a rectangular face frame 21, which is also made of a sheet of oak or any other wood which lends itself readily to a highly polished surface. As bestshown in Fig. l, a casing 22 is fitted against the rear face of the frame member 21, and is equipped with a removable back 23, as in Fig.5. This back, as shown in Fig. 1, carries a number of hooks or equivalent devices, whereby the various articles to be displayed may be properly suspended or supported within the casing 22. The back member 23 is of such length and width that its edges will fit within the grooves 24 formed in the rear edges of the casing 22.

L-shaped spring-clips, indicated at 25, are employed, as shown in Fig. 5 particularly, in holding the back member 23 in the proper position. By making the member 23 removable, it is obvious that it may be readily withdrawn from the casing for the purpose lar retaining frame or strip, indicated at 27. N ails, screws, or any other similar fastening devices are, of course, employed inproperly securing the casing 22 to the face frame 21, and in securing the glass closure retaining strip 27 in position within the casing.

From the foregoing description, it will be noted that the door is in reality a display casing which serves, not only to form a closure for the cabinet, but also provides for a display of samples of the goods contained within the'cabinet. Thus, when the cabinet is in practical use, salesmen need not unlock the door and remove from the cabinet any ofthe merchandise, but may merely direct the prospective purchasers attention to the samples contained within the box-like door.

In attaching the door to the. cabinet, I employ the hanger brackets 12 and 13. These members 12 and 13 are substantially identical .in'construction, each including a horizontal arm 28 and a vertical arm 29. The vertical arm 29 of each of the hanger brackets is bolted or otherwise secured to the hinge strap 14. The horizontal arm of each of the members 12 and 13 carries at its outer terminal a. cylindrical bearing 30 against which wear plates 31 are adapted to engage. These wear plates 31 are preferably formed of metal, and are secured to the upper and lower terminals of the door casing 22 and at the approximate central points thereof. Pivot pins 32 are inserted through the bearings 30, and are received within the wear the hanger brackets 12 and 13. The hinge strip 14 consists in a relatively narrow strip of wood which is connected to the side Wall 15 of the body member 10 by hinges, indicated at 33. These hinges 33 are located at the'outer edge of the side wall 15, as will be observed particularly upon reference to Fig. 6.

It will be obvious upon reference to Fig. 2 that the user of the cabinet may, by grasping the handles 34, readily swing the door 11 into open. position, and that, while the door is being swung into open position, and even after it has reached complete open position, it may be maintained in parallel relation to the front of the cabinet so that the salesman and the prospective purchaser may still have reference to the samples contained within the casing 22 of the door.

In order to impart a neat appearance to the cabinet, the normal outer edge of the hinge strip 14: is provided with a groove 35,

which is adapted to receive the shoulder 36 which extends on the inner face of each side member of the face frame 21. These shoulders 36 are, of course, reduced, as will be seen upon reference to Fig. 5 particularly, by chamfering the outer edge of the inner face of the two side members of the frame 21, as indicated at 37. The chamfcred portion 37 of the left hand side of the frame member 21 receives the edge of the side wall 16, as indicated at 38 in Fig. 2. A look, of any suitable type may of course, be provided for the door. It will be seen, however, that the provision of a lock at one side only of the door would not prevent a trespasser from opening the door, for it would be possible to effect an opening of the door by swinging the right hand side of the door outwardly, thus disengaging the look from the side member 16. In order to ,guard against such an occurrence, a spring lock, indicated at 40 in Fig. 6, is carried by the right hand, side Wall, of the casing 22. This member 40 is provided with a terminal hook member 41 which is engageable in a notch 12 formed in the hinge strip 1 1. Upon reference to Fig. 6, it will be readily observed that the right hand side of the door-cannot be swungoutwardly until the lock 39 has first been released and the door has been swung to permit the operator to "reach into the cabinet and release the member 41 from engagement with the notch 12. After the member' ll is released from the notch 42, the door may, of course, be swung in the brackets 12 and 13, in a manner hereinbefore explained.

In reduction to practice, it has been found that the form of this invention illustrated in the drawings, and referred to in the above description as the preferred embodiment, is the most eflicient and practical; yet realizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of this device will necessarily vary, it is desirable to emphasize the fact that various minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, when required, without sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention, as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A display cabinet including a body member, a hinge strip, hinges connecting the strip to the body member, a pair of hanger brackets carried by the hinge strip, and a door pivoted in the hanger brackets, said door including a substantially rectangular casing, a face frame for the casing, and a glass closure arranged in the casing and bearing against the rear face of the face frame.

2. A display cabinet including a body mea er;

member, a hinge strip, hinges connecting the strip to the body member, lL-shaped hanger brackets secured to the hinge strip and each having one arm extending laterally from the hinge strip, and a door pivotally supported by the hanger brackets, said door including a body member consisting in a substantially rectangular casing, a removable rear Wall for the casing, clips for holding the said rear wall inposition, a glass closure for the front of the casing, and a face frame secured to the said casing and arranged. against the outer face of the glass closure'member.

3. A display cabinet including a body member, a hinge strip hinged to the body member, a pair of hanger brackets having arms extending laterally from the hinge strip, a door pivotally mounted in the hanger brackets and connected thereto at its approximate center, said door including a body casing, a removable rear wall, spring clips for holding the rear wall in position, a glass closure for the front of the casing, a face frame secured to the casing and arranged against the outer face of the glass closure, said face frame being adapted to engage the forward edges of the top, bottom and sidewalls of the body member when in closed position, a key-actuated lock forone side of the door,- and a resilient latch membrackets carried" by the her for locking. the other side of the door against swinging movement, said latch member being secured to the door and having a hook-shaped terminalengageable with the hinge strip.

4. A display cabinet including a body member, a hinge strip, hinges connecting the strip to the body member, a pair of hanger hinge strip, a door pivoted in the hanger brackets and mounted for rotation therein, said hinge strip being disposed within the cabinet when the door is in closed position, and yieldable me'ans carried by the door and engageable with the hinge strip for normally holding said door against rotation in hanger brackets.

5. A display cabinet including a body member, a pair of hanger brackets hinged to the body member, a door pivoted in the hanger brackets and mounted for rotation therein, and yieldable means carried by the door for normally holding the door against rotation in the hanger brackets.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' WILLIAM C. HELLER. [11. s.]

Witnesses:

E. S. TAY OR, J. S. SMITH. 

